Los Angeles Business Journal Names Emily Kuwahara and Nicole Janigian Simonian to Leaders of Influence: Minority Attorneys List

Los Angeles – February 7, 2025: The Los Angeles Business Journal named Crowell & Moring partners Emily Kuwahara and Nicole Janigian Simonian to its 2025 Leaders of Influence: Minority Attorneys list. The list honors lawyers who are “impactful on the legal scene while serving as trusted advisors in the L.A. region.”

Kuwahara is a partner in the firm’s Litigation Group and co-chair of the firm’s Appellate Practice. Kuwahara has represented defendants in patent inventorship disputes, breach of contract actions, business torts, antitrust and consumer class actions, unfair competition law, products liability, and other complex business disputes. She has assisted plaintiffs and cross-plaintiffs in recovering over $500 million in business torts and contract actions relating to patent licenses and technology-related matters.

Outside of Crowell, Kuwahara is a long-time board member of the Japanese American Bar Association and currently serves as president. She was previously on the board of the Asian Pacific American Women Lawyers Alliance and remains active as a lifetime member.

Simonian is co-chair of the firm’s International Trade Group and International Employment and Global Mobility Lead, with a focus on the firm’s Asia practice. She has more than 25 years of experience advising on market entry and global business expansion, operations, and dispositions worldwide. Her practice covers a range of international compliance and regulatory issues, including cross border transactions, international trade, global mobility and supply chain mapping.

Simonian is the co-founder and host of “Global Trade Talks,” a podcast that shares brief perspectives on key global issues on international trade, current events, business, law, and public policy. She is a longtime member of the board of governors of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, the chair of the Los Angeles Chamber’s Global Initiative Council, and on the Global Mobility editorial board of International Employment Lawyer.

About Crowell & Moring LLP

Crowell & Moring is an international law firm with operations in the United States, Europe, MENA, and Asia. Drawing on significant government, business, industry, and legal experience, the firm helps clients capitalize on opportunities and provides creative solutions to complex litigation and arbitration, regulatory and policy, and corporate and transactional issues. The firm is consistently recognized for its commitment to pro bono service, as well as its programs and initiatives to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

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